Process for harvesting and piling cane



May 21, 1963 B. c. THOMSON 3,090,183

PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE Original Filed April 30, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Byron C. Thomson mmwm Q MM ATTORNEYS May 21, 1963 B. c. THOMSON 3,090,183

PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE Original Filed April ISO, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROW3 FIG.2.

INVENTOR. Byron C. Thomson MLMM W W ATTORNEYS May 21, 1963 B. c. THOMSON 3,090,183

PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE Original Filed April 50, 1959 v Sheets-Sheet s FIG.3.

INVENTORv Byron C.Thomson MMMMMQ W ATTORNEYS May 21, 1963 B. c. THOMSON PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed April 30, 1959 INVENTOR Byron C.Thomson D1 t ATTORNEYS d m-m May 21, 1963 B. c. THOMSON 3,090,183

PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE Original Filed April 30, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.5.

INVENTOR. Byron C.Thomson mwmmm @qgQM ATTORNEYS B. c. THOMSON 3,090,183

PROCESS FOR HARVESTING AND FILING CANE '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 R m N m @E w m 5 2. .e no

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May 21, 1963 Original Filed April 50, 1959 Byron C. Thomson m mm flum ATTORNEYS United States Patent 10 Claims. (Cl. 56--1) The present invention relates to process for harvesting and piling cane.

This application is adivision of my application, Serial No. 810,104, filed April 30, 1959.

LAH object of the invention is to provide a cane harvesting process designed to cut two rows of cane stalks simultaneously and to pile the same in heap rows to the end that the capacity of the harvester is substantially increased, thus insuring adequate supply of cane for the mills at all times during the grinding season.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel process of opening a square by cutting two rows of cane stalks simultaneously and providing for their disposition in heap rows supported by the hills of the cane stalks just harvested on opening the square, the stalks being allowed to fall together in opposite lateral directions without the necessity of creating any leaning rows which according to present practice have to be later thrown by hand or machinery over onto the heap rows.

The invention is particularly applicable to cane grown in the tropics which grows to a greater height than domestic cane and much of it falls on the ground in a tangled mass so that a cane harvester must travel at a much slower speed in order to lift these recumbent and tangled canes into the harvester without breaking them. If only one row is cut at the slower speed the capacity of the harvester would be greatly reduced. By cutting two rows of cane simultaneously, the same capacity may be maintained at one-half the speed. If the cane happens to be straight, the capacity of a 2-row harvester may be doubled.

The type of pilers used may be that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,427,313, granted September 9, 1947.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.-

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a harvester and pilers constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the first pass through the field establishing a heap row on the two hills from which cane at the time is being harvested;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of a harvester of this invention illustrating the same on a subsequent pass with the two cane pilers in position transferring the currently cut can onto the initial established heap row;

FIGURE 3 is a rear end elevational view of the harvester with the pilers removed showing the same straddling two rows and illustrating the fall of the cane in opposite directions and the cutter for severing the stalks issuing from the right or off cane channel; this view showing an initial pass of the machine opening the square;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 with the two cane pilers supplied and in extended position with the machine straddling two subsequent rows but moving the cane out to the initial established heap row;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic rear .elevational view illustrating the fall of the cut cane and the cutter action with reference to the cane issuing from the right 'or off channel;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of 3,@99,i83 Patented May 21, 1963 2 the discharge end of the right channel showing in full lines the initial position of the deflector bar used on the first pass, and in dotted lines the reverse position of the deflector bar for bypassing the cane stalks to the forward cane piler;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the rear discharge end of the right or off channel showing the deflector bar and also the camming bar for prying the cane stalks loose from the sticker chain;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of the rear portion of the harvester;

FIGURE 10 is a schematic or diagram showing the order of movement of the harvester in the ease of 4-row heaps, and

FIGURE 11 is a similar view with respect to 6-row heaps.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates generally a harvester frame of a width to span two rows and supported :as to its main weight and driven by the rear wheels 11 which are adapted to travel in the furrows outside of these two rows, which rows are identified in FIGURE 3 as Row 1 and Row 2,, and in FIGURE 4 as Row? and Row 4.

Passing longitudinally through the harvester frame 10 and substantially parallel to one another are at least two cane-receiving channels A and B spaced laterally from one another at the approximate distance of adjacent cane rows. Moving rearWa-rdly through these channels A and B are the near runs of sticker or other chains 12, 13, 14 and 1-5.

In the forward ends of the harvester are the usual gathering chains 16, 17, 18 and 19 which lift and erect any fallen or bent cane and otherwise guide the stalks of the two rows into the channels A and B.

These various chains may be driven in any suitable manner, for instance, from substantially vertical shafts 2d, 2d, 22 and 23 which derive their power from power sources on the harvester frame 16 and which drive the several chains through sprockets aifixed to said shafts.

The cane stalks are cut near the ground by the conventional rotary cutters 24 and 25.

With reference to the direction of movement of the harvester through the field, the channel A is the right or off channel and channel B is the left channel. By off is meant the channel on .the side of the harvester away from the standing cane. The left channel B is adjacent the standing cane and this :channel is longer than the right channel A and it extends farther rearwardly than the channel A so that the discharge end of the left channel B is offset a distance from the rear discharge end of the right channel A sufficient to accommodate the deposit of cut cane stalks from the right channel A upon the heap row in advance of deposit of the cane stalks from the rear discharge end of the left channel B.

Curved deflector bars 26 and 27 are mounted on the harvester frame at the rear discharge ends respectively of the channels B and A. These deflector bars 26 and 27 are so shaped as to direct the discharged cane stalks laterally and preferably at substantially right angles to the path of movement of the machine through the field; or otherwise stated, crosswise of the hills or rows.

The cut cane stalks are thus diverted to forward and rear cane pilers C and D, the receiving ends of which are disposed close to the rear discharge ends of the channels A and B. These cane pilers C and D may follow rather closely the construction disclosed in my prior Patent 2,427,313 aforesaid. For instance, the piler C cornprises a sticker chain 2S running over sprockets or sheaves 29, 30 and operating in conjunction with a pressure bar 31 spaced from the rear run of the chain 28.

-an appropriate source on the machine.

These sprockets 29 and 38 are mounted for rotation in suitable parts of the framework 10 and connected to be driven, for instance, as shown in FIGURE 3 of my said prior patent. An extension section C of the cane piler C pivots or hinges around the center of the sprocket 39. The rear end of the carrier chain 13 runs about a sprocket on the same center as the sprocket 29' for the piling chain 28 so that there is smooth transfer of the cane stalks from the right channel A to the space between the pressure bar 31 and the rear run of the piler sticker chain 28.

As shown more particularly in FIGURES 6, 7 and S, the curved deflector bar 27 is removably and adjustably titted at its forward end selectively into sockets 32 and 33 mounted on the machine framework or the piler framework carried by the machine whereby the deflector bar '27 may be inserted in either socket 32 and 33, being reversed in position as shown relatively in full and dotted lines in FIGURE 6. When in the dotted position the deflector bar will deflect the cut cane from the right channel A directly into the piler C.

Set screws or the like 34 and 35 may be employed to secure the shank of the deflector bar 27 after adjustment in the selected socket 32, 33.

When in the full line position shown in FIGURES l, 6, 8 and 9, the deflector bar 27 will direct the out cane stalks issuing from the right channel A laterally toward the standing cane, i.e., toward the companion cane channel B and along a lateral extension 36 of the sticker chain 12 which runs over the sprockets or sheaves 37, v38, as best seen in FIGURE 2.

As shown in FIGURE 8, a cam bar 39 is mounted on the frame in overlapping relation to the lateral chain run 36 so as to force or pry the cane stalks from the sticker chain just before these cane stalks are fed into the rotary knife or cutter 4t} mounted to rotate about and be driven by a substantially vertical shaft 41 receiving power from A cutter bar 58 is mounted adjacent the rotary cutter 40 for holding the cane in firmposition against such rotary cutter bar in order to eifectively cut the stalks.

It will be noted from FIGURES 3 and 4 that the height, which may be adjusted, of the cutter 4t and cutter bar 58 is intermediate the lengths of the cane stalks issuing from the right channel A. This knife 4t} travels in the direction of the arrows in FIGURES 1 and 2, and it performs two functions. First, it severe the cane stalks, and in the second place, in so severing the stalks it delivers a lateral blow to the same in the direction in which the sta ks are moving, or in other words, in the direction to- Ward the companion cane channel B, thus severing these stalks into upper sections 42 and lower sections 43 with the lower sections receiw'ng the blow at their upper ends and thus being induced to rotate about their lower ends on the hill designated Row 1 (FIGURE and thus fall over between Row 1 and Row 2.

The blow or thrust delivered by the rotary cutter 46 to upper sections 42 of the cut cane is at the lower ends thereof, thus tending to drive these lower ends in the direction of the hill denominated Row 2 and inducing a falling movement of these upper sections 4-2 about their lower ends in a direction crosswise of the rows and toward the right channel A. Thus, the cutter 419 not only severs the cane delivered to it from the right channel A, but it also promotes a folding movement in this cane causing both sections to descend between the hills denominated Row 1 and Row 2, thus establishing an initial heap row.

The canes 44 from the left channel 3 are deflected by the deflector bar 26 into the rear piler D, and its pivoted extension D, which also preferably consists of a sticker chain 45, rotating about sprockets 59, 60, and a companion pressure bar 46. As shown more particularly in FIG- URES -1 and 9', at a point near the deflector bar, a section 47 of the pressure bar 46 is cut out to provide a gate pivoted at 48 to the frame and adapted to swing to the open position of FIGURES 1 and 9 or the closed position of FIGURE 2. In association with this gate 47 is a deflector bar 49 pivoted at 5% and biased to the inclined position of FIGURES 1 and 9 by a light coil spring 51. In the closed position of the gate, as shown in FIGURE 2, the cane may simply rock the deflector bar 49 out of the way in passing along the channel between the piler chain 45 and the pressure bar 46.

As shown more particularly in FIGURE 9, a locking pin which may be attached by a chain 68 to the pressure bar 46 or other part is adapted to be inserted through holes 66 and 67 in brackets 69 and 78' attached respectively to the pressure bar 4-6 and the free end of the pivoted gate 47 in the closed position of the gate when the perforations or holes 66 and 67 are in registry. The pin 65 thus retains the gate 47 in the closed position in which it forms a continuation of the pressure bar 46; whereby the cane stalks can be passed along the full length of the section D of the rear piler and onto the similar extension D when the same is swung out to the extended position shown in FIGURE 2, it being understood, as shown in FIGURES l and 9, that the extension sections C and D of the two pilers C and D are folded or rotated respectively forwards and rearwards through approximately ninety degrees about the centers of the sprockets 3t) and 60. The extension C is folded forwardly against the side of the harvester and the section D extends rearwardly of the harvester Within the confines of the section C. The object of thus folding these two sections C and D is to prevent the extended sections from knocking down cane immediately adjacent to the harvester when cutting the first two rows either for a 4-row or 6-row heap, or for road travel.

In operation, referring to FIGURES 1 and 3, the harvester is shown as straddling Row 1 and Row 2. The gate 47 is open and the tail cane from left channel B is deflected out by the deflector bar 49 through the gap provided by the open gate 47. Thus this long cane 44 is induced to fall laterally down until it rests across Row 1 and Row 2.

While the tall cane in channel B is being severed at the bottom and piled as stated through the gate 47 into the initial heap row established by Row 1 and Row 2, cane is also being harvested in channel A and severed from the ground by the rotary cutter 24 and also being delivered to the rotary cutter 40 which cuts the right channel cane in two sections 42 and 43, causing these sections to fold in the manner above stated and be deposited upon the same heap row forwardly of the deposit of the canes 44, but both being deposited in the same initial heap row.

An important function of this two-row harvester is that it will not only make a 4-row heap but also a 6-row heap at the option of the operator. Diagrams of the positions and passes of the harvester into and through a square or part of a square are illustrated in FIGURES 10 and 11. :It will be understood that in cutting the first two rows of either a 4-row or 6-row heap, the canes of these two rows are always dropped immediately behind the harvester as will be further described under Position 1 below. The next two or four rows cut, depending upon whether there is a 4-row or 6-row heap made, the harvester is always in Position 2, as described below.

Position 1.In Position 1 the far ends or extensions C and D of both pilers C and D are not in extended position, but are in the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 9, as heretofore described. At this time the deflector bar 27 of channel A is turned or placed in a position to direct the cane away from the piler C toward the revolving cutter 40 and cutter bar 58, all as shown in FIGURES 1, 6 and 9. The gate 47 on piler D is in the open position and the deflector bar 5 is turned by the spring 51 across the passage of piler D. Position 1 is shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 and is used always when cutting the first two rows of either a 4-row or 6-row heap. When in Position 1, the cane from channel A will be turned by deflector bar 27 away from the piler C toward the revolving cutter 40 so that it will be cut in two pieces in order to fall in the space between Rows 1 and 2. The cane from' channel B will enter piler D and pass through the open gate 47 pushed out by the deflector bar 49 which is automatically biased to the cross position by spring 51 when the gate 47 is unlatched. This allows the cane from channel B to fall on the ground immediately behind and on top of the cane from channel A and completes the first two rows of a heap row.

Position 2.'In Position 2 the far ends or extensions C and D of both pilers are swung around on the pivots 30 and 60 to extended positions, as indicated in FIGURE 2, so that all cane from both channels A and B will enter both pilers C and D and travel through them to their outer ends. The deflector bar 27 on channel A will be turned toward piler C and the gate 47 be closed and latched by the pin 65. Position 2 is shown in FIGURES 2, 4 and 6 (dotted line) and is used always when cutting the third and founth rows of a 4-row heap and the fifth and sixth rows of a 6-row heap, as shown in FIGURES l0 and 11. When in Position 2, the cane from channel A enters piler C and is carried through this piler to the end where it is ejected on top of the cane from Rows 1 and 2. The cane from channel B enters piler B and proceeds through this piler to the end where it is dropped on the cane from Rows 1, 2 and 3.

Pursuant to conventional practice a square is opened by moving the conventional single row harvester through the field in a position to cut the row next to the end row. There being no place to pile such cane originally, the cane is leaned against the standing end row and must be dealt with subsequently by hand or machine to throw it over into the later established heap row which is not established until the second pass of the machine. Pursuant to the invention the leaning row is eliminated because two rows are being cut at the same time according to the invention and, consequently, two hills are immediately available for the laying across thereof the cane stalks in an immediately established heap row. Also, it is possible with the duplex channel machine of this invention to cut and harvest the end row and the row immediately adjacent thereto in opening the square, the cane from the end row being thrown inwardly of the square after being severed in two sections so that it remains on the field and is supported by the end row and the row adjacent thereto, from which rows cane has been simultaneously cut by this two-row harvester.

The process can be carried out by other forms of machines or by hand.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of harvesting cane which consists in cutting simultaneously the cane from the hills of two rows of cane and depositing the cut cane on a common heap row identified by the two hills being harvested.

2. The process of harvesting and piling cane consisting in cutting the cane from hills of two adjoining rows at the same time, and moving the cut cane from both rows mutually together onto a heap row provided by the two hills being harvested.

3. The process of harvesting and piling cane consisting in cutting the cane from hills of .two adjacent rows at the same time, and inducing the cut cane from the two rows to fall laterally toward one another onto the hills being harvested. I

4. The process of harvesting and piling cane consisting in cutting the cane from hills of two adjacent rows simultaneously, directing the cut cane from the two rows toward one another to fall into the same heap row provided by the hills just harvested, and severing into at least two sections the cane stalks cut from one of the rows.

5. The process of harvesting and piling cane consisting in cutting the cane from hills of two adjacent rows simultaneously, causing the cut cane stalks from the row next the standing cane to fall laterally away from the standing cane onto a heap row provided by the two hills being harvested, and causing the cane stalks from the 0!? row to move laterally toward the standing cane and be deposited on the same heap row.

6. The process of harvesting and piling cane consisting in cut-ting the cane from hills of two adjacent rows simultaneously, causing the cut cane from the row next the standing cane to fall laterally across the two hills being harvested onto a heap row, causing the cane stalks cut from the off row to be laterally directed toward the standing cane, and cutting the last-mentioned stalks into two sections while causing the cut sections to fold and to fall upon the same heap row.

7. A method of mechanically hanvesting sugar cane into four or six row heaps which includes cutting the cane of the first two rows simultaneously and piling them on the earth immediately behind the harvester, causing the cut cane of one row to fall in one direction and the cut cane of the other row to fall in a substantially opposite direction, cutting the cane of a second two adjacent rows simultaneously and piling theim upon the tfirst two rows of cut cane, the cut cane of both the second two rows facing in the same direction; cutting the cane of two additional adjacent rows simultaneously and piling them upon the cut cane of the preceding four rows, the cut cane of said additional rows facing in the same direction but opposite to the cut cane of the second two rows.

8. The process of harvesting cane with a harvester hav ing at least two substantially parallel longitudinally extending cane receiving channel structures laterally spaced apart at the approxiamte distance of adjacent hills of cane rows and having rear discharge ends, one of said channel structures being longer than the other whereby the rear discharge ends terminate at longitudinally spaced points, the process consisting in cutting the cane from the hills of the two rows of cane which are received by the channel structures, deflecting the cane issuing from each channel structure in a lateral path toward the other channel struc ture to cause the canes from the longer channel structure to fall laterally across the two hills being harvested in a heap row, cutting into two sections at substantially mid height the laterally deflected canes issuing from the discharge end of the shorter channel structure, and driving the cut ends of such sections toward the longer channel structure to cause said sections to fall across said two hills upon said heap row.

9. The process of harvesting cane as claimed in claim 8 consisting in the further step of severing the butt ends of the canes of both channel structures close to ground line before the canes issuing from the shorter channel structure are cut into two sections.

10. The process of mechanically cutting and piling sugar cane on the ground in heap rows which consists of the steps of cutting simultaneously the first two rows of a square of sugar cane, causing the cut cane of one row to fall in one direction and the cut cane of the other row to fall in a substantially opposite direction, immediately behind the harvester on the first pass of the harvester through the square, then cutting two rows at a time on the next pass of the harvester, and causing the cut cane, from the latter two rows to fall on the cut cane of the first two rows.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 3 3 ,9 8 6 

1. THE PROCESS OF HARVESTING CANE WHICH CONSISTS IN CUTTING SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CANE FROM THE HILLS OF TWO ROWS 